This is yet another show of humanity by Malaysians and government agencies to help the family of the security guard whose plight of living in a shoebox of a room with his wife and three young children for the past two years gripped the attention of the people.

PBA CEO Jaseni Maidinsa said today it had decided to waive the RM426.66 in arrears accrued by the previous tenant after having been told by Paner Selvam Subramanian yesterday that he had to settle the bill before his family could move into his flat.

Jaseni said his officers had been told to install a new water meter urgently so as to facilitate the family in moving into the government rental flat.

Paner had been living in a cluster home of 30 rooms along Jalan Utama with his family for the past two years.

He lived in a room that was as small as a queen-sized bed and was recently forced to quarantine for 30 days after an occupant in the cluster homes tested positive for Covid-19.

Paner’s plight received the attention of NGOs and the Penang government, with the latter offering him the rental unit at the Rifle Range Flats, Air Itam.